Plateau Crises Take Heavy Toll on Jos Zoo

Except for the sound of the   stream which snakes through the Jos Zoo, passing  under the bridge the other sounds that could be heard were those of the animals in the zoo. But more prominent among the sounds were that of the lions whose roar rose above all other sounds. There was some tinge of […]

Except for the sound of the   stream which snakes through the Jos Zoo, passing  under the bridge the other sounds that could be heard were those of the animals in the zoo. But more prominent among the sounds were that of the lions whose roar rose above all other sounds. There was some tinge of excitement in the roar, as the six of them, including two cubs, pace from one corner of their cage to the other.
Their behaviour was not unconnected with an activity that was going on some few meters away from their enclosures: the meat for their breakfast was being processed by the zoo attendants and they could perceive the smell of the blood that came from the slaughtered animals.
The commotion reached its peak when one of the zoo keepers, Nandong Lar, pushed a tattered looking wheel barrow piled with cow meat, heading towards the cages. On sighting the wheelbarrow, the animals became more agitated.
Wearing an I-do-this -kind- of – job everyday expression, Lar climbed the roof of their (lions) cage from behind, put several chunks of meat on top of the cages,  and started throwing them inside.
The first chunk of meat went to the oldest adult lion. The second one almost went to the same lion, but was intercepted by the lioness, which resulted in a short confrontation. The two cubs who together grabbed the third bit of meat, entered the artificial den to cosume their share
It was exactly 9:30am. While some of the animals, mostly birds had finished their meal, the cubs in the lion’s cage were still exercising their jaws, with the left over bone from their meat. The chimps who stayed close to the cheetah were also swallowing in quick succession into their mouths, the last pieces of garden eggs and cucumber provided for them. The two spotted Hyenas had almost at that time, finished the head of a cow given to them. Such is the common scenario that happens almost every day in the zoo. But for most of the carnivores, it occurs once in two days.
The speed at which the animals eat their meals, especially the carnivores among them, who could not probably have another feel of flesh again until a day or two later, was an example of how poorly the animals are being fed.
Established in 1953 and opened to the public in 1955, the Jos zoo can be said to have been situated then at the outskirts of the town. But with the current population explosion, the zoo is almost in the middle of the town, surrounded by trees from all angles, giving the zoo area a serene look.
The Jos Zoo started on a tripod, existing side by side with the Jos Monuments Gallery, where historical objects are kept, as well as the MOTNA where Nigeria’s traditional architecture is preserved.
The animals inhabiting the zoo currently include lions, baboons, chimpanzees, snakes, crocodile, tortoise, eagles, spotted and striped hyenas, ostrich, and cheetah, among others.  
According to studies, the zoo as far back as 1999 housed 62 mammals of 25 species, 60 birds of 18 species and 39 reptiles of 9 species. But today, the zoo can boast of only 98 animals in all. This shows a significant drop in the number of animals in the last eleven years.    
The Jos Zoo Manager, Dr Michael Ekwonu, said the zoo has lost a number of the animals from natural deaths, saying that some of the animals have also given birth.
“You know anything that has life will one day die. Some of them have died from old age , while some died  from sickness,  like for instance,  the popular chimpanzee whom people referred to as Peter,  died of old age. His female counterpart Paulina, is almost 80 years now. If you go there you will see that the hair on her body has turned grey because of old age”.
But despite the fact that some animals within the enclave of the zoo, have also given birth, the birth rate is nothing to write home about, and cannot be compared to the number some years back.
“We have recorded some births in the zoo, and that has helped us replace some of the animals. Of recent, the lioness gave birth to some young ones, and as I am speaking to you, one of them is also pregnant. Some of the Geese we have here also gave birth recently”, he said.
According to the zoo manager, the zoo gets its supply of animals through Direct Acquisition, Donations or Animal exchange. He explains further, “we sometimes acquire the animals direct, through direct purchase, sometimes from hunters. We also acquire animals through donations from wealthy people or even organizations. For instance, we used to have some animals that were donated by former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, as well as another animal donated by Sir Williams, a German who donated a tortoise to the zoo”.
And through animals exchange, some Zoos according to the manager, have surplus animals which cannot be found in other Zoos. “What we do in this case is to give out animals that we have in surplus, and receive in return, the ones that we are lacking, and which are in surplus in other Nigerian Zoos”.
It is the tradition for Zoos to quarantine animals when they are brought in,   the Zoo Manager explained. “Usually whenever we have new animals, we don’t just mix them up with the older ones, or put them on display for visitors to see. What we usually do is to put them in quarantine or what is termed as “Holding Cage”, and monitor them for some time before we put them on display”.
The essence, according to him, is to allow the animals get acquainted with their environment, “as well as check their health condition, especially their psychology”. 
Ideally, the Zoo is an artificial domain for animals which is supposed to provide them with a replica of their natural environment so as to allow them feel at home and in some instances, allow them behave as if they are in their natural setting, in order to amuse visitors.
Although quite a number of the animals have their enclosures replicated as though they are natural, some of them are in bad condition. Some huts are in poor condition with battered roofs, which can serve no purpose when it is raining, or when the animal wants to shield itself from the sun.
John Odo who has been working with the Zoo since 1978 as the Jos zoo keeper, responded thus “we are currently making plans to re – thatch the roofs that have gone bad. As you can see, the ostrich’s house is currently undergoing some repairs”.
Among many of the reasons why the Jos Zoo has declined to its current stage, according to Dr. Ekwonu, points at the recurrent crises in the state, particularly in the state capital Jos, which once served as a hub for tourists from across the country.
“Very few people now bother to visit the zoo since after the sectarian crises. Social life generally, if you notice, has changed in Jos. Before, people used to come with their families and friends, but because of the crisis the influx has reduced. But we do hope that things will eventually pick up, as peace is beginning to return gradually”, he said.
It was also gathered that the turn out during festive periods, when people, mostly children, visit the Zoo, has dropped drastically due to the feeling of insecurity expressed by visitors.
Mr Moses Ade was in the zoo in company of his wife, peeping down at the snakes that were crawling from underneath their shelter.
Asked about his impression of the current state of the Jos Zoo, Mr Ade recalled that the Zoo is unlike the way it used to be, saying people used to troop to the Zoo to watch animals and relax there . “But these days, you hardly see people come to the Zoo. Parents don’t even have time to take out their family to the Zoo”.
While agreeing that the Jos crisis has contributed to the current dearth of visitors to the Zoo, Mr Ade also attributes the decline to economic reasons, saying   “people are now struggling to make ends meet. Parents are struggling to provide food for the family as well as pay school fees amidst other needs, such as medical bills. That is why you hardly see parents making out time to take their children or loved ones to such places. It is not only Jos Zoo. If you go to other amusement places, it is the same thing”, he said.
On why he visited the Zoo that day, with a grin on his face, Mr Ade said “we just thought we should get some fresh air, because I am presently on annual leave. We just feel like hanging out”.
With   the nosedive in the number of people who visit the zoo, the impact of this was obvious in the nature of gate takings. The proceeds  ordinarily help augment in feeding the animals, as well as their medical needs , as funding for the Zoo is described as very poor by many.
“The gate taking which are part of the income we use in feeding the animals is very poor. It is barely enough to feed the carnivores alone. It is also not enough to use for the clinical needs of the animals. We are only managing to take care of them”.
The challenges faced by the management also touch on lack of other facilities. The Zoo Manager complains of lack of utility vehicles that can be used for the day to day running of the Zoo.
“Zoo running requires an utility vehicle for the running of day to day activities”. Dr Ekwonu said.
According to Mr Odo, the Zoo needs more hands, “especially when we are talking about the aspect of Zoo keepers. The people we have here are not enough. We need more hands to effectively run this place”, he said.
Dr Ekwonu on his part, said “there is the need for us to have more hands. We need some few hands, so that as people retire, others will replace them”.
But apart from the challenges, the Zoo keepers somehow still manage to keep the place running, so as to ensure the proper upkeep of the animals. Zoologists, medical lab scientists, botanists, veterinary doctors and other scientific Officers, work every day to keep the place intact.
On a daily basis, the few Zoo keepers go round the cages of the animals to sweep them, after sending the animals to safe areas. On their part, veterinary doctors also ensure that the animals are in good health, by going round twice to each enclosure in the zoo.
Principal Zoologist, Jos Zoo, Dibal Musa, says “every day, we go round to examine the animals and sometimes play with them, to know whether they are doing fine. It is through such approach that we get to know whether they are doing fine or not. If we notice that they are not cheerful, that is when we suspect something is wrong and we will try and identify the problem and attend to it”.
The existence of the Jos zoo has no doubt projected the image of the state, despite its current decline and dwindling image. For one, it serves as an avenue where scientists (especially students of zoology) go to conduct research for their studies.
“Many scientists do come to the zoo to conduct their researches, especially students of zoology. Instead of them to go to the wild which could be impossible and risky, they can come here and conduct their studies. Therefore, it is a research centre for University, Polytechnic students and even PhD students”, Dr Ekwonu explained.
Another achievement could be seen in terms of the number of employment opportunities it provides for the people, apart from serving as a hub for tourists.
“It has provided us with employment opportunities where people are employed at various levels. Apart from that, it is also a place where tourists can come and see various animals, that are otherwise seen only in pictures or movies”
On the part of the animals, their restricted enclosures may not be sufficient for their movement, or exactly replicate their natural environment. But Dr Ekwonu argued thus, “the zoo provides a permanent shelter for the animals where they are protected. It is better than their natural environment where they are exposed to dangers of hunters or predators”.
Speaking on the vision of the zoo, the manager said they are making efforts for the place to regain its cost glory, where they are proposing for the supply of what it is termed as “aesthetic animals”.
“Aesthetic animals are those animals that we don’t have in this part of the world such as zebra, giraffe, tiger, elephants, bear and a host of others. Such animals can attract more tourists and local visitors to the zoo, thereby increasing the income of the place”. According to Dr Ekwonu, the zoo still has enough places to accommodate more animals, stressing that the place has been well established for future expansion.
He added, “We want to make this place to become an Eco-tourism Centre. The Jos Zoo has all that it takes and the weather is conducive for the animals. The environment here is serene and well secured. We are making a lot of plans to ensure that we achieve this, considering that tourism is part of the 7 Point- Agenda of the present administration. We have seen developing economies like that of Brazil and South Africa, where tourism contributes a lot to  their earnings, but all these can be feasible when there is sufficient funding”.
But Dr Ekwonu’s optimism can only be achieved when a lasting peace returns to the tin city, saying without peace there can be no development in the entire state.
“Our foremost dream is that we pray that peace will continue to reign in the state and in the country at large, because without peace there will be no development. It is a well known fact that crisis is one of the recipes that sends tourists away. Therefore, every person in Plateau state must go to any length to ensure that we bring back peace to the state, that is when Jos Zoo and every other thing on the Plateau will thrive”.